ISTANBUL – Two US agencies filed a suit on Friday against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleging widespread violations of children’s privacy laws, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission filed the civil suit in the US District Court for the Central District of California against TikTok Inc, ByteDance Ltd and their affiliates for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (Coppa) and its regulations.
“Coppa prohibits website operators from collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13 without notifying and obtaining consent from their parents,” the Justice Department stated.
“It also requires website operators to delete personal information collected from children at their parents’ request,” it added.
The Justice Department recalled that the US government sued TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, in 2019 for Coppa violations, and the defendants have been under a court order to comply with Copps since then.
“From 2019 to the present, TikTok knowingly allowed children to create accounts and share videos and messages with adults on the platform,” the statement said.
The defendants collected and retained various personal information from these children without parental consent, it added.
The Justice Department argued that even in “Kids Mode”, intended for children under 13, the defendants unlawfully collected and retained children’s email addresses and other personal information.
Additionally, when parents requested the deletion of their children’s accounts and information, the defendants often failed to comply, the agency argued.
“The Department is deeply concerned that TikTok has continued to collect and retain children’s personal information despite a court order.
“With this action, the Department seeks to ensure that TikTok honours its obligation to protect children’s privacy rights and parents’ efforts to protect their children,” acting associate attorney-general Benjamin Mizer said. – August 3, 2024